Jump to content
Welcome to the Reel Boating Forum.
From Trailer Boaters to Captains to Marine Industry Professionals, the Reel Boating Forum welcomes you to join in with other boaters and fishermen discussing topics including sportfishing, marine electronics, boating safety, boat engines and more.
Use our FREE boat classifieds to sell your boat or fishing gear.
Marine Industry Vendors are also welcome to register a username and freely post their products or services

vseasport

Registered
  • Posts

    189
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About vseasport

  • Birthday 05/06/1949

Contact Methods

  • Website URL
    http://teamjenwren.com

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Buena Vista, BCS, Mexico

vseasport's Achievements

Newbie

Newbie (1/14)

286

Reputation

  1. East Cape weather continues to be unbelievably beautiful. Seas are calm and water temps remain at 84-85 degrees. Even though conditions continue to look right the bite has become a little scratchy. Finding fish has not been hard but getting them to go has. A volume of yellowfin has been breezing through on inshore high spots and will chow down on anglers chum. The problem is they are line shy and want nothing to do with bait that has a hook in it. Wahoo have been playing hardball as well. Mostly short bites are frustrating anglers. For some reason it has been the same dance with billfish. The finicky fish come in the spread for a quick look and sometimes take a quick whack at a lure but hook sets have been below a 50% ratio. For many years the first ten days of November brought picture perfect weather and was one of my favorite times. The last few years north winds have arrived in October and temperatures plummeted. It seemed early winter was the new norm. This year our old patterns have returned. November is knocking on the door and our forecast is for more great weather. Next week the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot tournament based in Cabo San Lucas will take place. It is the largest attended tournament in Baja and all of our boats are entered. WON headed up by Pat Mc Donald has always done an outstanding job with this event with the theme "fish hard, party harder". Our whole crew is fired up with anticipation, ready to do some damage and weigh a cow. It will be a great way to end our season. Polo on the wire Never over till it is over, this dorado came unbuttoned just when we were ready to stick 'em. Got this one to stick The little Accurate Valiant stands up Nice mess of fish Landed this super cow in June. Now we are looking for a repeat performance When we find the right fish it will be on the right gear. Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  2. Entering August we are coming into what is considered the height of huricaine season. Six named storms have passed heading West in the Pacific but our weather has been extremely pleasant. Calm seas and excellent fishing conditions with 83 to 86 degree water temps. Daytime humidity has made it a little sticky but evenings have been comfortable. Marlin continue to be on the rampage. Most of the fleet are having six to eight events a day releasing two to six fish. Getting the hook set has been difficult in many cases because the marlin attack with such aggression whacking at baits and missing. Other game fish have been hit and miss. Off shore schools of porpoise have not been hard to find but most are not holding tuna. This week we had a good tuna bite just a few hundred feet off the beach in front of our house in 50 to 100 feet of water. Before the fleet got on to it we could catch a quick limit but now traffic has made the fish very finicky. Just south of Punta Arena light house at Rincon a few tuna have popped up but it also has been hit and miss with more skipjack than tuna in the mix. Trophy sized roosterfish have made many anglers day but again it has been a hit and miss proposition. One day they will go good and the next be absent. Dorado, anglers are asking but it's not worth talking about. The East Cape Bisbee starts tomorrow. This should be an intersting tournament with the billfish bite we are experiencing. There will be a lot of blue marlin caught. The trick will be weeding out the shorts and finding one over 300 pounds. Below are images we captured this week. Entering August we are coming into what is considered the height of huricaine season. Six named storms have passed heading West in the Pacific but our weather has been extremely pleasant. Calm seas and excellent fishing conditions with 83 to 86 degree water temps. Daytime humidity has made it a little sticky but evenings have been comfortable. Marlin continue to be on the rampage. Most of the fleet are having six to eight events a day releasing two to six fish. Getting the hook set has been difficult in many cases because the marlin attack with such aggression whacking at baits and missing. Other game fish have been hit and miss. Off shore schools of porpoise have not been hard to find but most are not holding tuna. This week we had a good tuna bite just a few hundred feet off the beach in front of our house in 50 to 100 feet of water. Before the fleet got on to it we could catch a quick limit but now traffic has made the fish very finicky. Just south of Punta Arena light house at Rincon a few tuna have popped up but it also has been hit and miss with more skipjack than tuna in the mix. Trophy sized roosterfish have made many anglers day but again it has been a hit and miss proposition. One day they will go good and the next be absent. Dorado, anglers are asking but it's not worth talking about. The East Cape Bisbee starts tomorrow. This should be an intersting tournament with the billfish bite we are experiencing. There will be a lot of blue marlin caught. The trick will be weeding out the shorts and finding one over 300 pounds. Below are images we captured this week. Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  3. Billfish have been the name of the game this week. Boats targeting marlin have good action and averaging 2 to 3 fish a day. Most have been stripers but more blue marlin are in the count everyday. Fishing yellowfin tuna has been a tough proposition. A few of the larger 100 to 200 models have been brought to the scale which has gotten everyones attention but most of the anglers with tuna fever are not having success. A few wahoo have been picked off but the solid bite we enjoyed for the last 2 months has tapered off. The bite down south dried up so there are not many footballs. Tuna are on porpoise schools 20 to 30 miles off shore from north of Punta Pescadero spreading south to below Los Frailes. It has not been hard to find porpoise but only about one out of ten schools are holding tuna. Then when the right one is found the fish are very spooky. Kite fishing has been deadly when conditions are right but there has been little wind and the porpoise changing direction and speed too much to make a good bait presentation. Marlin have been scattered everywhere but the best bet has been about 15 off shore on a sea temp break that has been there for a few weeks. Today the Sea of Cortez was very grumpy with small craft advisories in the afternoon and we still managed a blue marlin just 3 1/2 miles from our mooring. Also a broadbill or two are still being sighted everyday. So, the other day I was talking about how spectacular blue marlin are. An angler asked how do you know when you have a blue on the line versus a striper or sailfish? Here is a quick photo illustration. Some of these photos are not my best work but they were all captured this week. THAT'S a blue marlin Striped marlin Blue Stripy Blue Sailfish Getting the idea? Sail Blue Nice striper Today's blue Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  4. The shine is off the dime For more than 20 years every winter we have taken a camping trip to our favorite spot in Magdalena Bay. During the winter north winds are relentless on the East Cape where we live making conditions unfavorable for fishing. Mag offers miles of mangroves where the water is calm and the bite has always been off the hook. Our trip has always been planned on an extreme tide because clamming for chocolate clams when the tide is out has been very fruitful. Another bonus to our almost secret spot aside from being able to pull our rigs right to the waters edge is a primitive commercial shrimp camp. Pangeros drag their nets all night and we have always been able to load up on jumbo shrimp at a not so jumbo price. This year's trip started as always. After a few days of preparation and packing we departed Buena Vista and headed north through La Paz toward Ciudad Constitution. Arriving at our turn off Hwy 1 we headed down the 20 miles of washboard dirt road. This year the road wasn't as bad as some years but we have seen it a lot better. I always watch my odometer with anticipation waiting for it to be over. Along the way I'm always concerned another camper will be in our spot. Amazingly enough we have never had any company other than our group and this year was no exception. Upon arrival the place looked the same as always and we proceeded to set up camp. My buddy John helped me get our inflatable off my trailer and I helped him with his aluminum boat so we could go fishing at first light while the tide was up. Mag has always been a very special place. Spectacular sunsets, bird life, sea life sights, listening to the coyotes and just sitting around our camp fire can be mesmerizing. In the evening and again in the morning John and I (in fun) were razzing each other about where we would fish and who would do the best. The joke is that fishing has always been so good it hasn't made a difference where we went the bite was always WFO for spotted bay bass and grouper with a few halibut in the mix. Four inch rubber twin tails has been our bait of choice but I think a hot dog would work. I caught John not paying attention and was able to slip a banana in his boat and off we went. Jen and I found fishing tougher than ever before but finally found a spot where we were able to bag several grouper. Returning to camp we found that John and Lorraine were not as fortunate and found nothing but tough fishing. We laughed that it must have been the hex of the banana and I cleaned our catch and got ready to go clamming. I have always tried to bargain with the shrimpers telling them for a good price I would buy more. Their reply has always been how many hundreds of pounds do you want? This was the first time we weren't able to buy jumbo shrimp. It was explained that all they were getting were mediums. I hate to be a snob but cleaning and dealing with small shrimp is a major pain after being spoiled by the grande model. Clamming was as easy as always. When the tide is out we just walk on the sand and wait for a clam to squirt and then dig it up. It doesn't take long to fill a 5 gallon pail and we have all we need. There is nothing like fresh clams and we prepare them every way imaginable. It was a several day feast of clams along with fresh fish but the jumbos were missing. The following morning preparing to fish I noticed the fuel tank was missing from my boat. I told Jen not to say anything figuring John was getting back at me for the banana trick. My plan was to mix a little oil in a fuel can and head out like nothing happened. I was not paying attention going about my business when things started to go south. Jen returned reporting the fuel tank from John's boat was also missing along with his tackle box and a few other items. Now the shine was off the dime. After 20 some years of never having a concern our camp was infiltrated in the middle of the night and some of our personal property was taken. It was nothing of great value but the principle that it happened kind of put a crimp on our vacation. Some reading this will bad mouth Mexico but I think it is just a sign of the times and it could and does happen everywhere. I still feel much safer here than in most places and will return to our hideaway to see if the jumbos have returned and the fishing has improved. Nothing like camping at the waters edge Chocolate clams were abundant Yum, yum Jen managed to sneak out a couple of flatties Not this year Always prolific bird life You've got mail! What a guy will do to get a signal. That is my cell phone in a plastic bag on the end of the fishing rod. The extra altitude is just what it took. Some guys just don't listen. I told him the bite was better on high tide High tide just after sunrise Sunsets like this will keep me coming back Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  5. East Cape - Glad I don't wear a toup Typically on the East Cape most of the sportfishing operations close up shop for the winter or move boats to Cabo San Lucas. A couple resorts might leave a boat or 2 in the water for the die hard with high expectations but for the most part strong north winds make conditions almost unfishable 5 or 6 days of the week. Game fish are here but brutal conditions make the wise take the drive south to wet a line. It is also a time when temperatures drop. There have been winters we have burned more than a cord of wood in our fire place trying to stay comfortable. The last 2 years winter never arrived. The Sea of Cortez stayed calm the majority of days and we lit up the chimney very few nights. I still have fire wood in our bodega gathered 2 years ago. Air temperatures have not plummeted this year as they normally do. I believe it is because sea temp has stayed warmer than normal. But the worm has turned and since early November anglers have had to hang on to their hats or lose them in the wind. After a 2 year absence, north winds are back, the surf is pounding and I'm glad I don't wear a toupee. Current East Cape weather can be viewed on our live webcams at: http://www.teamjenwren.com/east-cape-webcam.html 2015 will go down as a very odd fishing year. Springtime brought excellent striped marlin fishing with a few wahoo and dorado in the mix. As we headed for summer the striped marlin stayed strong, wahoo made a better showing but dorado evaporated. Yellowfin tuna were late in arriving but when they did it looked like we were off to the races pleasing anglers and filling coolers. As summer continued blue marlin arrived in numbers, wahoo continued to please anglers but the tuna bite got tough. Excellent striped and blue marlin fishing along with sailfish continued through the entire season but dorado completely disappeared and boats traveled unreasonable distances in search of tuna. We had an unprecedented showing of amberjack, yellowtail and red snapper on the La Ribera bank. The bite lasted for more than 2 months and was an outstanding alternative to chasing tuna that sometimes were not there. Now our boats are in dry dock . We have our heads below decks doing required maintenance in preparation for 2016. Turbochargers, heat exchangers, after coolers and more all need to be serviced and in top shape for the coming season. All of our boats are getting new upholstery and we will be adding a few other amenities to make it even nicer for our anglers. Thanks to all that helped make 2015 our best year ever. Team Jen Wren would like to wish everyone a joyful holiday season, and a healthy and prosperous 2016! Wrapping up the year. Our company holiday posada. Tuna showed a little late this season Here was a dandy Dorado were absent most of the year Wahoo provide steady action Sailfish arrived early Mixed bag off La Ribera Yes, it was an unusual year. Many days we landed amberjack, yellowtail, red snapper, football tuna and striped marlin in the same spot drifting baits. George Gavallos with his father and friends had a hayday Excellent rooster fishing all summer Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  6. Jen Wren over and out! It has been several weeks since I have been able to post a report and November has been a wild ride. At the beginning of the month we took our boats to Cabo San Lucas to compete in the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot tournament. In my estimation this tournament is the most fun of the many we fish during our season. This year was no exception even though the tuna fishing was a bit tougher than normal the event was a great time. Finding tuna was not really difficult nor was getting them to go. It was the jumbo variety that we were looking for that was absent. 210 pound fish took honors and we just couldn't make the grade. Jen Wren III did win the "Show us your Costa's" contest. Costa judges said it was a slam dunk win when the team switched around the Costa letters to spell tacos. The following the tournament we spent the entire day re-provisioning Vaquera and departed for Mag Bay that evening. Traveling all night we found ourselves about 50 miles below the bay in the morning. Conditions looked good so we plunked in some lures, broke out our gyro binoculars and started looking. It was surprising to not sight any sea life. After a couple of hours we picked up the lures and ran at speed. Upon reaching Pinnical Rock we found a large school of common dolphin with frigate birds above in a frenzy. Now it started to look like the Mag I know. This spot turned out to be straight skipjack which was a good tune up and loads of fun for the fly fisherman we had aboard. We tucked into the bay at Belchers for the evening and got a much needed good night of sleep. In the morning just a couple miles outside the Entrada we found some shark buoys that yielded a couple of dorado. The rest of the day was surprisingly slow. There was no other traffic on the water and nobody to compare notes with or get reports from. The following day brought small craft advisories. We decided fishing in the mangroves would be best to avoid the harsh weather. It was a good move as the mangroves were very fruitful with spotted bay bass, corvina and other inshore species. That evening we arranged for our guests George and Lori to be picked up by panga for departure. Shortly after, Aaron and Connie who would be with us the next 5 days arrived. The wind persisted so it was another day in the mangroves with our new guests. The following day all was calm and it was my hope that the 2 day blow would shake things up and make gamefish hungry. We left the Entrada at day break and headed to the north. It was my plan to work that direction and spend the night in Santa Maria. The weather was beautiful but the morning frustrating only producing 1 dorado. We sighted many solo frigates but couldn't find the working bird life needed. Our VHF was silent all morning and finally about 11:30 we could hear some chatter from local fishermen. It sounded like wahoo and tuna were biting on the Thetis bank so off we went. The afternoon was action packed. In a short time we landed 2 wahoo and had several short biters. We also bagged 4 yellowfin tuna and released a striped marlin. Getting late, we had to head back to Santa Maria. Now it looked like we had it going on. The following morning we were underway before daybreak on a Bee line back to the Thedis. What I thought was going to be a bonanza turned into a very slow day. Before my very eyes I watched the Thetis action dry up. At 2 PM we had 1 small yellowfin in the boat. With disappointment I headed south looking for better action. That evening while cooking fresh jumbo shrimp and New York's on our barbecue I was thinking what now. We didn't come all this way for scratch fishing, it is time to roll the dice. It had become painfully obvious I wasn't going to find fish in the spots we had always found the past. In the morning my thoughts were no guts no glory. A needed to pull a rabbit out of my hat. We headed offshore with Diego and I both scouring the horizon with our Gyro binos. About 25 miles out I pulled the throttles back to troll speed and continued. An hour went by and I was shaking my head in disbelief that there was no sea life. Then, there they were. Birds, a huge spot of frigates on the horizon working. As we approached porpoise could be seen under the birds. First pass through all 5 troll rods went off and it was cockpit chaos. I couldn't help but stop and smile. No other boats to call, no other traffic. This spot was all ours. After landing the tuna we couldn't get all the lines back in before bendo. The bite went on until we finally cried uncle. Trolling toward the Estrada we found a nice spot of striped marlin and released one. Our last scheduled day at 6 in the morning I received a call from Weather Routing. They provide a service I can't say enough good things about. The call was to make me aware strong winds and harsh weather were coming our way and advised that we start heading south. We trolled a couple hours and picked it up and ran around the horn and arrived at the San Jose Marina just after dark. In the morning we fueled up and headed for home. Strong north winds had been blowing for days on the East Cape but we lucked into a window of calm that allowed us not only smooth sailing but an opportunity to get Jen Wren and Vaquera out of the water. East Cape water temperature is presently 80 degrees and the north wind has not let up. There has been very few departures but word from the die hards is there is still a decent marlin bite and a few good grade dorado have shown up. For us the season is over and our boats are out. Blue marlin plagued us with hookups while hunting big tuna And it spells TACOS Lori's 1st dorado on the fly Stripes out Marlin continue to provide the most consistent action in Baja Found this poor guy wrapped up in line on a buoy. He was exhausted but swam off when released. Connie's birthday limit Plugged with fresh tuna, dorado and wahoo East Cape winds have been relentless Season is over and we are out. Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  7. East Cape - Back in 87 Here we are in the second week of October and the craziness of 2015 continues. Basically, dorado and tuna have done a no show all season. We did have a few moments but nothing consistent to hang our hats on. In the meantime we have experienced an outstanding billfish bite with one of the best seasons for blue marlin in years. Wahoo have also made a good showing most of the year and help fill some of the void in anglers coolers. The most unlikely suspects that have been a welcome surprise are amberjack and yellow. They have been bending rods for a couple months now and putting big smiles on anglers faces. Our air temperature has dropped and so has the humidity. In the period of a week it has gone from stifling to very comfortable. Wind has tried to blow from the north a couple days but is not strong. Waves can be heard gently lapping on the beach at night which has become a foreign sound because it has been silent for so long. This season has brought less wind and more rain than I can ever remember. The landscape from San Jose to Los Barriles is lush green and looks more like the tropical jungle of Costa Rica than the desertscape of Baja. Sea temps were heading for the low 80's but yesterday I found myself back in 87. While the East Cape fleet is struggling to catch quality tuna the cows have shown up in Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific. We are looking forward to competing in Western Outdoor News Tuna Tournament November 5th and 6th. The event is always a great time and I'm certain this year will be no exception. The team on Jen Wren III just dropped out because of medical issues which offers a great opportunity for someone wanting to put together a last minute team. After the WON Tuna tournament Vaquera will be departing for Mag Bay and offers the trip of a lifetime. Call or email me for more information. Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841 Off to the races Discovered mama turtle building a nest in front of our place Jen Wren III on the loose! Hard to believe this heavy stainless ring failed. It was part of our anchoring system.
  8. East Cape - Recipe for a good trip Another week of great weather. We have gotten a lot of rain but little wind. Anglers are getting a little wet but the fish we have been targeting haven't seemed to mind and have been cooperating. All of our normal suspects, marlin, tuna, dorado, wahoo and roosterfish are here but just haven't been in the mood. It is an unlikely story for September but drifting for bottom fish has been most productive. Amberjack, yellowtail, snapper and white bonita have been bending rods. Most of the action has been in 400 feet of water and good bait has been key. A few of the bottom fish have been taken on the iron or live caballitos but greenback mackerel and sardineta have been the candy bait. We have been using sabikis to make the bait while fishing. It has been an interesting proposition as the gamefish have been destroying the sibikis attacking the macks while we retrieve them from the bottom. Anglers arriving with a preconceived notion that they need to catch tuna, wahoo or dorado are mostly being disappointed. The old saying goes "when you have lemons make lemonade". Most visitors want to meet where the locals meet, eat where the locals eat. It has been difficult when we can't get them to listen to local knowledge and fish where the locals fish. It is hard for me to drive over fish where anglers could have a good day to go on a wild goose chase. My recipe for a good fishing trip is to not arrive with that preconceived notion and demand to go back to the location you got them in the past. Don't listen to the guy in the bar who has had a couple. If you can't trust your crew and their local knowledge of where the action is you could be on the wrong boat. Check out the East Cape weather in real time on our 2 live webcams: http://teamjenwren.com/our-webcams.html Buddies having fun Team Accurate David Nilsen with 8 year old Clayton Fathers and sons, check out those smiles The rain has brought some magnificent sights. Another nice amberjack ready to hit the deck Polo on the wire. Still a few sails around Vaquera, Gringo's "Fish killer of the week" Jen Wren III ready to rock and roll. Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  9. East Cape - What are the odds Early in the week, Cat 3 hurricane Linda went roaring by in the Pacific at 14 mph. While it wasn't a threat to Baja we did get rain for 2 days straight dumping more than 2 inches. It is odd that we had two Cat 4 hurricanes threaten our coast in May and none of the 17 storms that have passed since that time have caused any concern. The storms have brought substantial rain which is welcomed without harsh wind which obviously is not. Our hillsides are green and livestock is fat and happy. It is odd than our current surface temperature is cooler in September then it was in August. It is odd that schools of spotted and spinner dolphin are not holding tuna. It is odd that the tuna on the La Ribera high spot prefer dead sardines over live ones. It is odd that fleet boats are catching yellowfin, snapper, yellowtail, amberjack, marlin and sailfish in the same area. It is odd that we meter nothing in our fish finder but catch all of the above along with greenback mackerel and sadineta on sibikis. It is odd that the bite for all species is better in the green water near shore than the blue water offshore. It is odd that the best billfish bite was on the full moon. Yes, so far 2015 has been a very odd year. This is not the odd amberjack. The bite is the best we have ever experienced Say ahhh Amberjack, yellowtail and tuna on the same drift. I'd call it odd Nothing odd about this big blue marlin Found this odd smorgasbord in a tuna's stomach Striped marlin trying to get away. Poor guy is not aware we use Accurate's Nice mossback THIS, is not odd, we are just doing our thing Odd to have frogs come out of nowhere every time it rains Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  10. East Cape - Full moon turns 'em on! After two months of extremely inconsistent fishing East Cape game fish have finally come to the party. For weeks the only shot at tuna has been south of Los Frailes. It is a long boat ride and in many cases has not been fruitful. Now, as the moon has become full the tuna have become aggressive. It is no longer a crap shoot and anglers going the distance are consistently bringing home the bacon with 30 to 40 pound yellowfin. In the same southern area anglers are also finding wahoo and smaller dorado. Closer to home off the La Ribera high spot greenback mackerel and sardineta have appeared. These are normally cooler water baits and I'm a little surprised to see them in late August. All the same they are welcome and have really turned things around. Limits of smaller grade tuna along with snapper, amberjack, yellowtail and marlin are being taken drifting baits. Just outside the high spot blue marlin, striped marlin and sailfish have been bending rods. Yesterday, while Jen Wren III took a limit of tuna and a nice amberjack, Vaquera performed the hat trick with 2 blue marlin, one striped marlin, one sailfish, 2 red snapper, one amberjack and to top it off a yellowtail. Yes, the full moon has turned 'em on. Oh, did I mention our incredibly nice weather? Check it out on our live webcams: http://teamjenwren.com/our-webcams.html This coming Saturday along with Accurate Jack Nilsen I will be on Pete Gray's Lets Talk Hookup radio show. It will be broadcast live from El Cajon Ford from 7 to 9am Pacific time. If you are in the area please stop by and have a chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes. If you can't make it please listen in: http://www.mighty1090.com Amberjack Yellowtail Snapper Sailfish Armando on the wire Blue marlin This blue still looks a little green. Armando, a bit nervous. Armando on the wire again getting a workout with this huge striped marlin Vaquera, on fire! Doing the blue marlin dance. Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  11. East Cape - Wanted! Just when I thought the weeks of outstanding weather the East Cape has been experiencing couldn't get any better it has. Tropical disturbance Eleven_E passed by in the Pacific early last week pushing up cooler water and lowering humidity. While we didn't receive any harsh weather from the storm overnight sea temps dropped 5 degrees and went from an ugly greenish to beautiful blue. The drop in temperature perked up our billfish bite which was starting to fade. Some boats have still found it tough but others have had constant action with sailfish, striped and blue marlin. I have seen a few dorado flags this week but word has it they are all dinks. I know El Regalo did bag a nice 40lbs fish. Yellowfin tuna continue to play hardball. Fleet boats have been traveling 40 miles and more in every direction trying to satisfy anglers with tuna fever. Porpoise schools offshore have been hard to locate and many are not holding tuna. To the south, below Frailes drifting high spots has been the best bet but a slow pick. Some days the fish will bite better than others. At best it is not steady action. Bait of choice has been dead sardines which are sometimes not available We had one group bring 40 pounds of frozen squid. I thought it would be a bonanza but found the tuna to be more finicky than my cat. Most fish have been 30 to 40 pound grade. It has taken light fluorocarbon and small hooks to get bit. That has made long battles and lost fish for anglers without the patience or skill. WANTED! Blue marlin release Sailfish putting on a show Ben Lazar playing deck hand. He and his buddies found it a little tough but made the most of it. Squid in the hood. We scooped this out of the water still alive after a sailfish spit it up. Nice grade tuna Yo-yoing a diamond jig paid off Not as bad as it looks. The rain has been welcome and it hasn't been wind related Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  12. East Cape - Tuna, sailfish, weather and more I don't think many will argue that this has been a crazy year. Seems like we never had a winter and went from fall straight into spring. In May we experienced two Cat 4 hurricanes and had to cancel a few fishing days because of the nasty weather. Chubascos in May are unheard of around these parts but like I said it has been a crazy year. Since that time there have been another 9 named storms pass by in the Pacific. We have been fortunate that none of that weather has been a threat to Los Cabos. In fact, since May we have had very few windy days and the sea of Cortez has been flat. Yesterday I was surprised to find myself in 91.7 degree water. The good news is sailfish were abundant. The bad news is the warm water is just the fuel needed to create the perfect storm. I hope the tropical systems just keep heading west but am on high alert at all times because of what I'm seeing out there. East Cape has developed a reputation of giving anglers constant action. Recently we have had some epic days but it hasn't been consistent. Sailfish are the best bet right now for anglers wanting action. Yellowfin have been on and off, dorado noneexistent and wahoo hard to target. Rooster fishing has also tapered off. Most anglers are getting off the airplane with tuna madness. It has meant unreasonably long boat rides and only a 40 to 60% chance of success. There has been some quality fish but also a lot of frustration and disappointment. Posted are photo highlights of the week Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  13. East Cape - Nothing like a good hurricane For the last several weeks the Sea of Cortez has been flat calm which has made for very comfortable boat rides and fishing. The difficult thing is the bite has not been red hot. Anglers have been scratching 'em out but it has been a slow pick. As soon as Hurricane Dolores started to form more than 1,000 miles below the Cape the bite picked up. The storm has never been a threat to Baja although it is going to bring a couple days of wind as it passes in the Pacific. There is nothing like a good hurricane to turn on the bite. It seems like the approaching low pressure really has an impact. Gamefish act like it is the last supper as a storm approaches. This week the blue marlin bite has been off the chart. Even when not targeting blues we hung one on a Marauder while fishing wahoo. Sailfish have been plentiful and trophy sized roosterfish have also been abundant. Nobody has been able to find the larger model tuna with porpoise but limits of footballs have been easy most days for anglers willing to make the 2 hour ride south to the San Luis Bank. The burning question of the moment is where are the quality dorado? A few smaller fish are being taken but this Saturday is the well attended Dorado Shootout. Seas will still be a bit grumpy from Dolores so it will be interesting to see if anyone can pull a big bull out of their hat. Wish us luck! All in all it has been a very action packed week. Blue marlin on the attack! Hard to troll all day and not hook a blue marlin right now. Even if you are not fishing for them Sailfish are providing action When first hooked the blues really put on a show. Took Jim Durky 12 years of trying to catch his first sailfish Small reel, small kid, big fish. 12 year old Sam Sullivan landed a blue marlin this week un-assisted Excellent wahoo fishing We always promote billfish release. This fish was hooked in the tail and died in battle. To give perspective the boat has a 13 foot beam. Breakfast of champions, East Cape sunrise. Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  14. East Cape - Nothing to write home about East Cape weather remains outstanding. 87 degree sea temps have made the air warm and humid but seas have been very calm. Today we are experiencing a little wind from the north which is very unusual for July. This week on his birthday local Buena Vista resident Rich Bottini boated an 82 pound wahoo. Another local resident John Torres released 3 stripers to win the East Cape Anglers tournament. Also, a dead whale was found offshore loaded with tuna, dorado and few wahoo. Most of the fish around the whale were micro size but a couple boats managed better quality yo-yoing iron. Other than that there is not much to write home about. The red hot marlin bite we have been experiencing has slowed although a few blue marlin are still in the mix. Anglers with expectations of filling coolers have been disappointed while others are having the time of their lives enjoying the environment, the sea life and all that Baja has to offer. Micro tuna, same as a yellowfin but smaller This one is not quite ready Striped marlin fishing has slowed Rick Okuni flying his quadcopter from Jen Wren III Stay tuned we should have some cool drone shots coming It has been hard to get the tuna to go Finally found a few to cooperate African pompano for dinner Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
  15. East Cape - Ruined East Cape has experienced the longest stretch of gorgeous weather as I can ever remember. Seas have been calm and it appears there is no end in sight. Fishing has been red hot for anglers targeting billfish or roosters. Striped marlin, blue marlin and sailfish are all mixed in the same areas and on the rampage. Most of the fleet boats have been releasing between 3 and 6 fish a day having many more events. We had more than a half dozen anglers land their first billfish this week. They are ruined if they think it will always be this easy. Roosterfish have also been cooperative. It has not been big numbers but it has been trophy sized fish. Anglers putting in the time are being rewarded. For those looking to fill coolers it has been frustrating. Porpoise schools have been easy to find but tuna just don't want to bite. Dorado have also been absent. Looking at all the dorado flags flying every afternoon one might think it is a good bite. The truth be known the flying flags are larger than most of the fish being taken. I want to share an interesting experience a friend told me about. He was fishing a local billfish tournament when it happen. David I hope I got this right and that you don't mind that I am sharing it. David's boat doesn't have a place to troll a center rod but does have a rod storage rack in the center. With that he decided to drag a ballyhoo from that rack with the reel in freespool using a rubber band to hold the line. The idea was that if the rod got bit there will be time to grab it and set the hook. Well, another rod got bit and he was fighting a marlin when he heard this loud crash. Looking around he found the rod rack laying on the deck and the baited rod missing. Now, looking behind the boat the tip of his missing rod could be seen bobbing. As luck would have it the outfit got tangled in another line he had in the water. Not only did he get his rod back the fish that ate the ballyhoo was still on. All the line had paid off the reel because he forgot to put on the clicker and never saw the bite. It was the fifth billfish David landed that day and he won the tournament. Not only did he win, he got his gear back and he won a new Accurate Dauntless 600. I'd say it is time to head for Vegas. Billfish are the name of the game right now Little Andres working hard Wow, big fish for a little kid 8 year old Vern the 5th having the time of his life with Vern the 3rd Lots of blue marlin in the house Putting that Accurate to the test That is a first marlin smile Trophy sized rooster cruising East Cape beaches Lots of anglers getting their first billfish experience Trevor Lucas bagged this beautiful pompano Mark Rayor teamjenwren.com markrayor.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing US cell 310 308 5841
×
×
  • Create New...